The Man, The Mine, The Legend
by C4tch3r1nTh3M4z3
Summary: In a forgotten time when the world was newly wrought, and the realms of the End and Nether just beginning to seethe through their barriers, a man awoke into a strange landscape. Without memory of his past, this man would change the world forever.
1. Prelude: A Man Called Steve

The Man, The Mine, The Legend:

A Minecraft fanfiction

Nobody panic.

I know there are more MC fanfics out there than you can shake a stick at (which, incidentally, does 1/2 heart of damage as of the 1.8 update. But who's counting?). On the other hand, I wanted to write one. So I did. Deal with it.

We'll see where this goes. Who knows, maybe it will display a plot or something. No promises.

Also, I apologize for the lengths of the first couple chapters. Rest assured, in the future they will be longer.

Please feel free to write reviews, because I'll be rather more motivated to write the damn thing if I know someone's reading it. Don't hesitate to PM me for any reason.

Thank you for reading, enjoy your show. In the event of a crash, please locate your nearest Close icon, located at the top-right corner of your browser. Your seat cover will double as a floatation device, etc.

-C4tch3r

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><p>Prelude: A Man Called Steve<p>

"Gather round, children," Elder Zin whispered, sitting forward in his wooden chair by the fire.

The grand stone hall seemed to fill with light and warmth, the great fireplace roaring despite the blizzard raging beyond the wide windows.

Gradually, the children and adults came near, and the scene became comfortable. The tapestries hanging in the great chamber matched the colored rug lying by the fire.

"Are you going to tell a story?" Little Alexander asked excitedly.

"Yes, settle down now," Zin wheezed. "This story is an old, old, tale known across many lands, and retold since the time of our forefathers. It has many chapters, and tells of many great adventures, but once, all of these legends began with one man. We remember him as a hero, who sacrificed much to begin this world and protect all of us."

"Protect us when?" Little Zachary asked.

"Even now, child, even now. No more interruptions."

"Now, everyone listen carefully," he continued, coughing slightly.

"This is the story of that timeless hero. This is the story of a man called Steve."


	2. Legend of Minecraft: Steve's Awakening

The Man, The Mine, The Legend:

A Minecraft Fanfiction

Greetings people.  
>Got the new chapter up, hope you enjoy. Should be more interesting then the prologue. Hopefully. That dialogue is tough to beat.<br>Once again, please read and review, don't hesitate to PM me with any questions, etc. I'll try and get back to you.  
>-C4tch3r<p>

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><p>Chapter 2:<br>The Legend of Minecraft: Steve's Awakening

"Uggghhhh," Steve said.

His mouth tasted like dirt, and his skin felt like it was burning with an intense, dry heat that seemed to sear his mind as well as his body.

Stiffly, he pushed himself slightly from the ground, gasping.

Steve realized his mouth tasted like dirt for a reason: it had been shoved into the grass. A flare of pain from his hands made him sit up. His palms were burned and blistered, but it was different than the sunburns covering his body- it was as though he'd pressed his hands against a bar of hot iron.

_How long was I laying here?_ he wondered.

Then, _Where is here, anyway?_

He was crouching in a sparse forest, it seemed. The sun beat down from a cloudless blue sky, and the grass was lush and left no patches of dirt exposed. The trees were large and shady, but spread out. The ground seemed to be sloping upward on all sides; it was as though he'd simply collapsed into a depression in the ground and gone to sleep.

_Who am I?_

The thought whisked into his mind unannounced, but he knew instinctively the answer.

_Steve..._

It just felt right.

He was Steve, and he was here.

The forest was expansive.

Steve dragged his sunburned, stiff body forward, uphill, through the forest. In the distance, he could make out a rise in the land: a jagged ridge that rose from the treed landscape in a spine-shaped outcrop of stone.

While he walked, he attempted to wrap his mind around the situation.

_What am I here for? I don't remember anything..._

His thoughts were interrupted as a noise from the side surprised him. Steve stumbled slightly, but caught himself, turning to face the noise.

It was a small, white chicken, poking around the base of a tree.

_Chicken._

He didn't know how he knew it, but Steve knew what the chicken was. Glancing back at it, he continued his hike upward.

It was almost dusk when he arrived at the ridge. The sky gradually wore down into an orange haze, the sun melting into a crimson shadow behind the horizon.

Steve began to half-climb up the slope, slowly making his way up. Near the halfway point, the ground suddenly seem to curve into the ridge, and a dim crack opened up.

Slightly apprehensive, Steve sidled into the cavern. It was more of a hole in the ridge than a cave, and it widened as it went in. The niche became a cozy pocket in the stone, big enough for him to stretch out in every direction without touching the wall.

Surprisingly, as he stretched out on the floor, Steve found he was exhausted, even though he'd been asleep only a couple hours ago. Without thinking further, he succumbed to the encroaching darkness, and fell into sleep once more.

Steve woke to a sound outside the cave. Light was gently washing into the cave from the thin entrance, and the air smelled of morning dew.

Pushing himself to his feet, Steve cupped his hands and drank from the small pool of water in the corner. Shaking his head, he crept closer to the entrance, and peered out into the sun.

He was startled backward by a horrific figure that leapt at him.

A rotting, humanoid creature scrabbled at the thin entrance to the cavern. It loosed a hideous groan, through his shock and disgust Steve realized the creature was burning. The odor of putrified flesh began to seep into the cave, and Steve nearly gagged as, with a final gurgle, the monster slumped to the ground, smoke rising from the already-blackened body.

Hesitantly, Steve touched the twisted corpse with his foot. The thing crumbled, leaving behind a foul, sooty residue. Grimacing, he quickly stepped over the monstrosity, squeezing through the entrance niche into the morning sun.

Looking around, he felt a thrill of horror: scattered around the base of the ridge, several additional bodies lay, some still twitching.

Suddenly cautious, Steve began to make his way back down the ridge, half-sliding down the rocky face. At the bottom, he avoided the bodies, and instead continued along the ridgeline, peering around the trees.

_Whatever those things are, they aren't friendly,_ he thought. After a moment, he walked up to a tree, pulling a limb downward. The wood seemed strong enough, and with some effort, he managed to break it free from the tree.

Steve continued to make his way through the forest, stripping the smaller branches from the tree limb as he went. After a while, he had a hefty club, but judged it ineffective after a couple trial hits against the trunk of another tree. It was simply too unwieldy, the odd shape inhibiting his swings.

_I need something to cut it down,_ he realized, looking around. A pile of rocks that had fallen from the ridge caught his eye, and Steve took a small, jagged-looking one, slamming it against a boulder until it cracked. Taking a deep breath, he laid the damaged stone down onto the boulder, and swung his club at it as hard as he could.

It split with a resounding _crack,_ sending tiny, stinging bits of stone raking into Steve's skin. He moved closer, pulling apart the now-broken stone. It had split lengthwise, leaving several thin, sharp stone shivs behind.

Smiling, Steve took the fragments, and quickly broke another branch from a tree. He broke it again at the base, and, using one of the stone fragments, gouged a crack into the end of it. Setting the fragment into the split, Steve pushed the wood base against the tree until it sank into the part.

_I need some string,_ he thought, but there wasn't anything around he could see to substitute.

_Well, as long as I hold the split together, it should work fine, _he decided.

Taking the new knife-blade to his club, Steve began shaving back the bark and carving into the hard wood. A shape began to form in his mind: a lean, slightly curving, blunt blade. A weapon almost like a club, but shaped like a sword, made of a hard wood that should hold up fairly well against a soft target.

Steve continued to walk along the ridge, fashioning the weapon, wondering if it could protect him.


	3. Food, Fire, and Shelter

The Man, The Mine, The Legend:  
>A Minecraft Fanfiction<p>

'Sup all.

Thanks to everyone for reading, favoriting, and most of all reviewing. Remember, every time you read but don't review, Bethesda wins a lawsuit.

I've been more busy than usual lately, but I really want to get a couple more chapters done before Minecon, so expect another update before then. Also, to clear up a misunderstanding, Steve's new wooden sword is something resembling a bokuto. Google it.

Try not to complain to me about how the things in this chapter don't fit with the crafting recipes, etc. I'm not writing a story about Minecraft's crafting trees. I'm trying to be semi-realistic, so don't get hung over about how you need coal to make a torch and stuff. I don't intend to ignore the crafting in the future, I promise. And if you caught the Zelda reference in the last chapter, you get a diamond. + There you go. That's a diamond. Deal with it.

Well, I'm done talking. Review, PM me with any questions, comments, concerns, or drink recipes! Enjoy the chapter, and until next time, remember to shake, _then_ bake.

-C4tch3r

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><p>Chapter 3: Food, Fire, and Shelter<p>

The day wore on.

The ridge Steve had been following gradually curved down into the forest, which was beginning to thicken, the rocky clearings and grainy slope changing into root-ridden dirt and grass. The sun still hung low in the sky; noon was a ways off.

Through the morning, Steve had seen a pig, another chicken, and two cows. Once again, before he could even wonder what the animals were, he'd remembered their names. He supposed this was a good sign, but his memory was showing no other signs of returning.

And now he was getting hungry.

There were no berries, fruits, or anything else edible in sight. Just trees and the dwindling ridgeline, which soon would be nothing more than a slight hill.

_Urgh,_ Steve thought, as his stomach grumbled again. _Looks like I'm going to have to get some meat._

He carried on hiking until the ridge bottomed out into what was likely to be the last clearing around. At the edge, under a tree, a largish pig was poking around.

With some hesitation, Steve crept up on the animal from around the tree, raising his wooden sword.

"So, sorry about this," he said, and swung at it as hard as he could.

The pig collapsed without a fight, and he stood for a moment in silence.

Picking it up, Steve looked about for a place to set up camp, but the only thing before him was the forest, which was lined with scraggly grass that came up past his knees.

Sighing, he set the animal down again, and quickly climbed up to the tallest part of the small ridge.

There was no sign of another cliff, but from his vantage point, Steve could see a break in the trees further into the forest. A dark, jagged sliver of grey was visible through the gap, but he couldn't make out what it was.

_I guess that's it, then,_ he thought, sliding back down.

He picked up the pig, which was fairly difficult, with his sword held under his arm and with the weight of the thing. Not wanting to linger, Steve started through the brush, into the forest.

The forest started to get thicker mid-afternoon, and Steve found himself pushing through stands of bushes and occasionally jumping across ditches or ground that was so twisted in roots that it was impassible.

After a while, the forest abruptly fell out almost beneath his feet, and Steve realized what the grey clearing had been.

A ravine.

The ground seemed to break at the edge, becoming a razor-straight drop that cut deep into the ground, growing darker and darker until the bottom was barely visible. The crevasse was deep, but at its widest was only yards across. Leaning out across it, Steve saw it was fairly long, stretching through the forest and thinning out toward the ends.

Frowning, he began carefully following alongside, toward the nearest end. This side has caved in slightly along its length, sending gravel and rock spilling into the darkness like a waterfall. Where the debris met the opposite wall, a cave yawned open, Steve approached the edge warily to get a closer look at it.

The cave was dark, and Steve had no way of knowing how big it was from where he was standing. He remembered the creatures from before and realized he'd need some light before climbing into it.

He set down his pig, and cautiously checked out the gravel pile. It was very loose, but seemed safe enough.

_How am I going to get a light, though?_ He wondered.

Steve inspected the cave mouth again, and even moved a little closer, though he was careful not to fall into the deeper part of the ravine. It looked as though there was something on the cliff wall next to the mouth...

Gripping his sword, Steve edged around the cave and approached the stone. Inside the rough rock was a reddish vein of ore; it seemed as though the rock was rusting from the inside.

_Iron! _He realized with a jolt.

There wasn't a lot of it, and it looked to be poor quality, but it ran through the rock like thin tree roots.

Steve clambered back to the gravel pile, and with some difficulty climbed up it. Taking the stone knife he'd used to carve his sword, he stripped the bark away from one of the trees near the ravine, and gathered what dry wood he could find off the ground.

Then, he picked up the pig and slid back into the crevasse.

He put the carcass down again for a moment, and poked through the gravel pile. It was mostly small rocks and grainy dust, but after a moment, Steve's hand touched something smooth and angular within. He withdrew it, brushing off the dust.

In his hand shone a glossy rock. Dark, with some swirl of color within. Flint.

Wasting no time, Steve took the flint and the bark he'd gathered, positioning it under the iron vein. Then, he lifted the flint piece and brought it down at an angle against the mineral.

It only took one strike: the rock face seemed to suddenly open up and cough a metallic screech, sparks pouring from the the vein like liquid fire. The bark, for one brief moment, was covered in a gold-red blanket of lava, before igniting in a burst of hot air.

Steve quickly stood up, heart suddenly hammering with excitement. He scrambled back up the gravel, grabbed a couple sticks from around the trees, and practically dove back down into the ravine.

He lit the ends of the two sticks, and threw one into the cave mouth.

Not wanting to waste the light, he dragged the pig into the entrance, and picked up what firewood he could.

Then, Steve plunged into the darkness, sword in one hand, torch in the other.


	4. Alone in the Dark

The Man, The Mine, The Legend:

A Minecraft Fanfiction

Greetings readers.

Minecon was a chaotic blizzard of confusion and money-spending, but overall well worth it and pretty spectacular. I had almost no time to write, except for on the plane, and on my return I was left to sort out affairs at my house, including a couple new series I'm writing, so I apologize for the late updating. In other news, our plot's starting to leak though the cracks! This chapter is the gateway to some exciting adventures. Stay tuned, and feel free to review with any references you may have noticed, or any advice you have for me. A couple of suggestions for more fanfiction have been requested of me, mainly a Harry Potter story. While I'm slinging some ideas around, I don't think I'll kick anything off for a bit, probably. I'm also working on an original fantasy story. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks, enjoy the chapter (and review, please!) and, until next time, don't mine dirt with your pickaxe.

-C4tch3r

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><p>Chapter 4: Alone in the Dark<p>

The cavern's entry was shallow, but as Steve sidled through the damp passage, feeling somewhat like he was crawling through the esophagus of some enormous creature, the cave began to turn downward, and forked into two. One, he saw, turned a corner and hit a wall. The other went down a long, twisted passageway that looked as if it had been shaved out by a cheese grater, and then abruptly dropped into the darkness.

Steve stared at the sinkhole for a moment before retreating back to the mouth of the cave. He dragged the pig back to the fork, and dropped it off in the dead-end chamber. Then, he picked up the rest of the wood and took it over, piling it in the corner and dropping his torches on it.

In a few moments, he had a small fire burning, and a fair bit of firewood stacked against the wall. The ceiling was high enough, and angled upward, that he judged the smoke not to be a wanting to sit with his back to the open cave behind him, Steve leaned against the wall and began to dress the pig with his small knife. It was difficult, and a task he would have preferred not to have performed.

After he'd cut away a good portion of the pig's side, Steve speared the meat on several slivers of wood, and leaned them against the wall near the fire. Making sure to occasionally rotate the skewers, Steve cleaned his knife ineffectually against his also-bloody shirt, before giving it up as futile and laying it down on the floor.

After the pork began to sizzle, Steve judged it done and took one of the kabobs. He wasn't sure what he expected, but what he ate wasn't it. Somehow the pork had imbibed the flavor of the wood, and the smoke from the fire. Steve decided that even though the texture was leathery, the smoky skin and juicy meat more than made up for it. He finished the meal slowly, then sat against the cool cave wall comfortably.

It was a sound that awoke him.

Steve sat rigidly still, suddenly fully awake, and listened to it. A slight pitter-patter, gently bouncing off the rough stone of the cave, echoed from all around. It was as though many small beetles had taken up residence in the walls of the cavern. It took Steve a moment to place it, though once he did, he didn't know how he knew what it was.

Rain.

At first, it was just a gentle tapping from the cave mouth, but as it gradually began to increase in intensity, Steve began to get the feeling that something was wrong. He took his sword and a brand from the fire, and peered out into the cave.

_What am I missing?_ He wondered, as the feeling of wrongness continued to build. He started as something cold brushed his foot, but calmed when he realized it was just a trickle of water running into the cave.

Steve followed the small stream back into the cave. It ran from the mouth all the way back to the sinkhole. As he approached, he abruptly stepped ankle-deep in freezing water. The sinkhole was overflowing with water; instead of a yawning mouth breathing cold air, it was now a hazy, freezing abyss that seemed to suck in the heat around it.

Steve hopped back up the cave, noticing with alarm that the trickle of rainwater was now a rushing stream. It ran through the cave eagerly, adding to the freezing pool slowly creeping forward from the back of the cave.

The tunnel was filling with water quickly, and Steve noted with alarm that it would be completely submerged in a matter of minutes.

As the rain continued to intensify, washing in waves into the cave's mouth, Steve scrambled back to the alcove, where his fire was little more than a pile of cinders. He quickly gathered up the rest of the meat, his weapon, and a torch, before rushing back to the cave mouth.

Steve looked at it with dismay. The water was pouring in with a ferocity that shook him, and the freezing spray was beginning to numb his skin, steam rising from the warm meat he carried.

Resting his supplies on a rocky shelf near the opening, Steve pulled himself up, directly into the stream of water flooding into the cave.

The instant his hands touched the water, they erupted into an excruciating pain, searing him with a burning sensation so strong he screamed and slipped, the water slamming him into the uneven stone floor.

Gasping, Steve held his hands up, the pain not abating. He had assumed the blisters on his palms and fingers were sunburn from lying in the open before he woke up, like the burns that covered the rest of his body. Now, however, the skin was sizzling as if it was pressed against a hot iron, his hands quickly turning bloody, and pain stabbing through them at the slightest movement.

Gritting his teeth, Steve pressed his arms against his chest and fought his way up onto the ledge of the cave mouth. He reached over to the shelf, and scooped his supplies into his arms, wincing as the motion took the pain in his palms to a roaring fire. He scrambled into the ravine, the water waist-deep and rising, numbing his lower body and constricting it in an icy, crushing embrace.

Steve slowly walked to the gravel pile, his body above the water constantly barraged by stinging needles of rain that felt like they left cuts into his face and back.

When he put his foot onto the gravel pile, it sank into it like quicksand, and gritty dirt enveloped his leg, chafing it. With a growl, Steve tore it free and sloughed his foot forward, then his other. Beat down by the howl of the storm, and the blisters devouring his hands, Steve's vision began to darken, and he struggled forward up the gravel pile. With every step, he forced his way through the raging flashflood around him, until the drumming of the hail upon him became too much, and he collapsed just before the lip of the ravine.

Weak from blood loss and hypothermia, but consumed by purpose, Steve dragged himself from from the eroded ravine, which was almost filled with a raging torrent of icewater. Pressing his now-completely numbed hands against him, he closed his eyes, and let the feeling of the world slip away as he surrendered to the freezing, stormy night.


End file.
